Contemporary Arab Affairs
Journal Data
| Type | JOURNAL |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Brill Academic Publishers (NL) |
| ISSN | 1755-0920 / 1755-0912 |
| Scopus | 19700188238 |
| OpenAlex | S81956514 |
| MAG | 81956514 |
| Website | https://api.elsevier.com/content/serial/title/issn/1755-0912 |
| Total publications | 626 |
| Coverage period | 2008 - 2026 |
| Country | US |
| Language | EN |
| Indexing | Scopus indexed |
| Cited by | 432 |
| Impact factor | 0.161 |
| SJR | 0.109 (Q4) |
| SNIP | 0.104 |
| CiteScore | 0.3 |
| h-index | 7 |
| i10-index | 3 |
| 2-year mean citedness | 0.02 |
| Female authorship share | 19.4% |
This journal focuses on contemporary Arab affairs, falling under the category of area studies. Area studies with substantive ethnographic, cultural, or social content are closely cognate to social anthropology. It frequently publishes work relevant to social anthropologists
Cultural Studies · Political Science and International Relations · African history and culture analysis · African Studies and Geopolitics · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Education and Islamic Studies · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · Global Political and Social Dynamics · Globalization and Cultural Identity
Flux Capacity and Structural Entropy: Explaining Political Inertia in Fragile States
Political accountability in fragile states is often symbolic rather than transformative. This study examines why increased digital civic engagement and media exposure fail to generate systemic political reform in Lebanon. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, it combines a nationwide survey of 882 adults with in-depth interviews to analyze accountability dynamics amid prolonged institutional collapse. Results show that partisan med…
The Iran–Saudi Rapprochement and Religious Extremism: Implications for Pakistan’s Foreign Policy and Regional Stability
This article examines the implications of Iran–Saudi Arabia relations for Pakistan’s foreign policy, with particular emphasis on regional stability, energy security, sectarian dynamics, and emerging geopolitical realignments. It situates Pakistan at the intersection of Middle Eastern rivalries and great-power competition, especially following the China-brokered rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran in March 2023. Using a qualitative research de…
The United Arab Emirates: A Proxy-Enhanced Middle Power Boosted to Serve US and Israeli Strategies in the Middle East and Africa
This paper analyzes the regional role of the United Arab Emirates after 2011, and how it evolved from a minor country under the hegemony of Saudi Arabia into playing a regional role extending far beyond its own potential. The theory of Proxy-Enhanced Middle Power Strategy ( PEMPS ) is used to explain this. Based on this theory, I argue that the UAE was able to boost its regional role by operating as a proxy for Israel in various regions and conti…
Annotated Arabic Bibliography: Brief English Reviews of New Arabic-Language Releases in Critical Arab Scholarship
Fighting Famine, Navigating Patriarchy: Syro-Lebanese Women during WWI
During World War I , most of the male population in Lebanon was mobilized and conscripted into military service (known as the Sefer Barlik). As a result, women and children bore the brunt of the suffering. Women, in particular, became victims of multiple crises: the ruthless greed of wealthy merchants, the naval blockade of the Syrian-Lebanese coast by European powers, the corruption of Ottoman officials, devastating locust plagues, and ultimatel…
Islamists in Morocco: The Cost of Mainstreaming and the Implications of Pragmatic Engagement
This study examines the trajectory of Morocco’s Islamist Party of Justice and Development ( PJD ) from its rise to power in the aftermath of the 2011 protests to its electoral collapse in 2021. Drawing on broader literature on Islamist movements and political integration, the analysis highlights the challenges faced by the PJD in reconciling its ideological commitments with the constraints of governmental participation under a monarchical system.…
Trapped in Division: Libya’s Polarized Transition after Gaddafi
The crisis in Libya remains unresolved due to deep political divisions and foreign interference since the 2011 uprising. This research proposes that Libya’s conflict is driven by political polarization, which has worsened into affective polarization, where opposing factions view each other as existential threats. External actors deepened these divides by supporting the rival groups, making peace efforts difficult. The research uses political and …
Annotated Arabic Bibliography: Brief English Reviews of New Arabic-Language Releases in Critical Arab Scholarship
Using Infographics in Economic News: A Comparative Study of Arab News Channels
In an era when economic concerns predominate in international news agendas, infographics and other visual communication tools are crucial for making complex financial information understandable to a broad audience. This study adopts a quantitative content analysis approach to examine how two major Arab television channels (Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera) use infographics in their economic news reports. A total of 196 economic infographics were analyze…
Ansar Allah from Revolution to Ruling: A Political Sociological Study of Ansar Allah (Houthis) in Yemen (2000–2025)
This study offers a political-sociological analysis of the transformation of Ansar Allah (the Houthis) in Yemen from a religious-cultural protest movement into a dominant political authority governing northern Yemen between 2000 and 2025. It adopts a multidimensional framework—ideological, social, military, and regional—to examine how the group institutionalized itself amid state collapse and elite fragmentation. Tracing its evolution from Zaydi …
From Strategic Pragmatism to Creative Intervention: Synthesizing China’s Evolving Doctrine in the Middle East
This paper examines the unique character of China’s expanding influence in the Middle East, arguing that conventional Western International Relations ( IR ) theories are insufficient to explain Beijing’s strategy. Moving beyond prevailing narratives of great power competition, this study synthesizes two conceptual frameworks grounded in Chinese political thought: “The Philosophy of Strategic Pragmatism” and the doctrine of “Developmental Peace.” …
Youth Empowerment in the GCC: A Case Study of the UAE (2015–2025)
This research aims to explore the reality of Emirati youth specifically, and the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) countries’ Arab youth more broadly by highlighting the conditions they face today, particularly in terms of employment, education, women’s roles, and economic indicators in the context of globalization. The youth of GCC countries, who comprise approximately one-third of GCC societies, need to become a fundamental part of administrativ…
The Israel-Iran 2025 War and the Gulf States in the Context of Regional Security Complex Theory
The Twelve-Day Israel-Iran War in 2025 marked a turning point in Middle Eastern geopolitics, with profound consequences for the Gulf states. This ephemeral but intense conflict, culminating in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, exposed the vulnerabilities of Iran’s regional strategy and highlighted the risks faced by Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) members due to their proximity to U.S. military assets and heavy reliance on external security guarantees.…
Symbolic Membership and Aspirational Sovereignty: Palestine and the Politics of International Organization Participation
This paper examines how contested states, whose sovereignty may be legally recognized yet exercised under conditions of occupation, use symbolic participation in international organizations to advance statehood claims, namely the Symbolic Membership for Aspirational Sovereignty Framework. Focusing on Palestine. It explores how observer status, selective memberships, and strategic accessions have been deployed to assert legitimacy and sustain inte…
Navigating How Geopolitical Capacities Shape Oman’s Regional Roles (1970–2020): A Neoclassical Geopolitics View
This study explores how internal factors shaped Oman’s regional and global roles from 1970 to 2020, focusing on the transformative era of Sultan Qaboos. During this era, Oman transitioned from a nation defined by underdevelopment to a contemporary state actively engaged in global political and economic affairs. This research explores Oman’s influence both regionally and internationally, highlighting its economic and political roles, and how inter…
The Cultural Politics of Nation and Migration: Transnationalism among Iraqi Americans
Transnationalism refers to the linkages, identities, and practices that migrants maintain between their homeland and host country, increasingly facilitated by digital and mass media (Levitt 2004; Vertovec 2009). This study employs transnationalism theory to conceptualize five sociopolitical communication practices and identity dynamics: (1) identity preferences, (2) media preferences, (3) political participation, (4) civic engagement, and (5) lan…
Environmental Diplomacy and Climate Change: A Case Study of Iraq
Climate change is one of the most prominent challenges facing countries and societies in the contemporary world, because of its profound environmental, economic and social effects. This article seeks to shed light on the environmental and climate crisis that Iraq is witnessing, by tracing its historical roots over the past five decades, and analyzing its ongoing repercussions on society and the environment. Iraq is working in cooperation with int…
Annotated Arabic Bibliography: Brief English Reviews of New Arabic-Language Releases in Critical Arab Scholarship
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Between Attractiveness and Environmental Dilemma
This article aims to discuss the conflict between investment and the environmental preservation in the context of globalization. All countries strive for growth and progress through aggressive competition for investment, especially foreign investment. This approach has led to polluters exporting their environmentally harmful activities to the global south or trying to exploit the latter’s natural resources. In this case, we try to give an overvie…
Understanding Arab Consumer Behaviour in Boycott Movements: The Drivers of Political Consumption in relation to the Backdrop of Israel’s War on the Palestinians
Amidst the Israel-Palestinian conflict, boycotts and political consumption have become a significant research area. This study explores political interest, perceived injustice, brand avoidance, and religiosity in terms of political consumption behaviour. A sample ( N=501 ) of Arab consumers was selected, and data collection was undertaken via a cross-sectional survey method. The political consumption measurement dimension was the extent to which …
Failing the Innocent: The Crisis of International Legal Norms in the Israel-Palestine Conflict
The Israel-Palestine conflict remains one of the most enduring and violent disputes in modern history, with renewed intensity following Hamas’ attacks and hostage-taking in October 2023 and Israel’s subsequent forceful military response in Gaza. This study critically investigates the efficacy of international legal instruments and institutions in safeguarding civilians amid escalating hostilities. Despite the existence of international treaties—i…
Salafis and Democracy: Between Doctrinal Commitment and Political Pragmatism
This article examines the complex relationship between Salafi thought and democracy, highlighting the contradiction between its doctrinal rejection and practical use. It shows that Salafism, which rejects democracy for contradicting God’s sovereignty (ḥākimiyya), resorts to it as a tactical tool (“doctrinal pragmatism”) to achieve political gains and spread its proselytization (da’wa), especially following the Arab Spring. By comparing parties li…
Would You Offer Them Tea?”: Hospitality, Tribal Belonging, and the Social Invisibility of Migrants in Kuwait
This article examines the paradox of hospitality in Kuwait, where a cultural ideal of generosity coexists with the social invisibility of migrant workers. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, cultural analysis, and secondary sources, it explores how hospitality operates not as an expression of openness but as a mechanism of exclusion. By defining who qualifies as a “guest,” hospitality reinforces social hierarchies rooted in tribal belonging. Migra…
Digital Diplomacy Strategies of the Iranian and Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs on the X Platform: A Comparative Study of Middle East Conflicts
This study examines how the Iranian and Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs employed digital diplomacy on the X platform during two conflict periods: Iran’s missile strikes against Israel (October–November 2024) and Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes (June 2025). Through a qualitative comparative design and content analysis of 487 posts, it explores how both actors used enticement and attack as dual strategies of narrative construction and foreign…
Russia’s Confrontation with Nato: Importance of the Middle East for Russia’s National Security
On June 1, 2025, Ukrainian intelligence orchestrated the launch of an unprecedented attack on airbases deep inside Russian territory, thousands of kilometers away from Ukraine. This operation is considered the most serious strike against Russia’s heartland since World War II . This article argues that the attack would not have happened had the Assad Regime not fallen in December 2024, dealing a severe blow to Russian influence in the Middle East,…
Spacio-cide: Colonial politics, invisibility and rezoning in Palestinian territory
In the last two decades, the Arab–Israeli conflict has been considered a ‘low intensity’ conflict, based on a typology which simply takes into account the number of casualties. This typology is misleading, since despite relatively low numbers of casualties, on other counts the conflict may be seen to be in the process of intensification. In particular, a key area that has been gaining relevance is related to space and land: dispossession, occupat…
Small farmers and the revolution in Egypt: The Forgotten Actors
This paper analyses the relationship between small farmers and revolution in Egypt by describing their role in the current uprising and redefining the track and stages of the revolution's development, as well as evaluating the historical relationship between small farmer uprisings and the urban elite. The paper provides a historical reading of the peasant uprisings and the way in which the urban elites have ignored their struggles. The study conf…
The Arab revolutions; the emergence of a new political subjectivity
Since late 2010, the Arab World has witnessed regime changes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya; and revolts by Arab citizens are still underway in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, along with reform initiatives at different levels. These processes cannot be accurately be described by Orientalist terms such as ‘Arab Spring’, ‘Arab unrest’ or the ‘Facebook Revolution’, where such categorizations fail to account for the radical transformation in politics and valu…
The Palestinian States of Exception and Agamben
This paper questions the applicability of Giorgio Agamben’s understanding and articulation of the ‘State of Exception’ concept in the Occupied Palestinian territories. Through a detailed analysis of the Palestinian spatial conditions, it presents the different hierarchies, forms and experiences of exception Palestinians confront in their daily lives. It classifies four States of Exception: the State of Exile and Refuge; the State of Paradox; the …
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Conception of Citizenship Rights in Egypt
How do Islamist movements perceive citizenship rights, particularly in conservative societies such as the case in the Middle East? This study attempts to answer this question by examining the case of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Conventional wisdom demonstrates that Islamic movements adopt illiberal views towards women and minorities, particularly non- Muslims, because of their conservative and rigid interpretation of religion. This study arg…
Limiting violent spillover in civil wars: The paradoxes of Lebanese Sunni jihadism, 2011–17
Research on violent spillovers in civil war has often exaggerated the potential for conflict contagion. The case of Lebanon is a counterexample. Despite the massive pressure of the horrific war in nextdoor Syria, it has, against all odds, remained remarkably stable – despite the influx of more than 1 million Syrian refugees and almost complete institutional blockage. This paper, based on ethnographic research and semi-structured interviews from L…
Isis, Wahhabism and Takfir
Much has been written about the rise and expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) – hereinafter referred to interchangeably as ISIL and ISIS – since its emergence, and analyses are being published non-stop. The facile utilization of cultural interpretations to explain such phenomena, connecting the development of ISIL with Arab-Islamic culture, is common. There have been widespread att…
Post-Qadhafi Libya: Interactive dynamics and the political future
Libya’s contemporary history has been dominated by the interplay of the perpetual dynamics of religion, tribalism, oil and ideology. After 42 years in power Qadhafi was killed at the hands of revolutionaries and the final chapter of his dictatorial reign was terminated. With direct and powerful support from NATO and some Arab governments the revolution, led by the National Transitional Council and military councils in many Libyan cities, was anot…
Suleiman: Mubarak decided to step down #egypt #jan25 OH MY GOD’: examining the use of social media in the 2011 Egyptian revolution
For the last decade, a debate has raged over the place of social media within popular uprisings. The 2011 Egyptian revolution shed new light on this debate. However, while the use of social media by Egyptians received much focus, and activists themselves pointed towards it as the key to their success, social media did not constitute the revolution itself, nor did it instigate it. Focusing solely on social media diminishes the personal risks that …
Effects of Iraq’s Parliamentary Gender Quota on Women’s Political Mobilization and Legitimacy Post-2003
Parliamentary gender quotas have become increasingly prevalent since the 1990s, yet in-depth research illuminating their effects on women’s political agency remains scarce. Iraq’s political evolution offers a unique perspective on feminist, democratization, and gender quota scholarship as related to Middle Eastern women in politics since the US and allied invasion of Iraq in 2003. Throughout Iraq’s modern history, Iraqi women’s ability to pursue …
Security sector reform, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of militias: The challenges for state building in Libya
Even though the rebels, later turned ‘revolutionaries’, actually had an insignificant role as combatants in the violent downfall of the Gaddafi regime in Libya in 2011, they became involved in acts of war in many parts of the country in what came to resemble a civil war. Their militias flourished thanks to the lucrative financial handouts that governments paid to them. To complicate matters, additional militias sprang up in the absence of any sor…
Rethinking Palestine: Settler-colonialism, neo-liberalism and individualism in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
The 1967 occupied Palestinian territories have undergone three major types of development since the Oslo agreement between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Israel was signed in 1993 and the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994. These developments have brought far-reaching structural changes in Palestinian politics and society. They have rendered Palestinian communities – inside historic Palestine and outside - very vulnerable,…
The ‘end of pan-Arabism’ revisited: Reflections on the Arab Spring
This article draws on implications of the Arab Spring so as to elucidate the dynamics that characterize its revolutions. The analysis builds upon the results of major public opinion surveys conducted in the Arab world, both immediately before and after the Arab Spring, in order to facilitate the identification of developments that shape the relationship between Arabism and Islamism in the context of mass media, the demographic ‘youth bulge’ and A…
Democratic transition and sectarian populism: The case of Lebanon
Despite being considered as one of the oldest constitutional democracies in the Middle East, Lebanon has been confronted with periodical institutional crises and civil violence. A protracted transitional period towards democracy has threatened the autonomy of deeply fragmented sectarian groups, and has instigated a polarizing struggle over nationhood. Fearing the degradation of their power to a majoritarian order, sectarian leaders have resorted …
Set up to fail: Consociational political structures in post-war Iraq, 2003–2010
Since Arend Lijphart’s development of the theory of consociationalism in 1969, dominant schools of thought have accepted that ‘power sharing’ and ‘group autonomy’ are the basic preconditions of democratic governance in divided societies. The constitution and electoral framework adopted by post-invasion Iraq instituted many of Lijphart’s recommendations, including proportional representation, federalism and a parliamentary system with a weak presi…
Opinion: Qatar and the Arab Spring: down the foreign policy slope
Qatar, a backwater state in regional and international politics until 1995, has in recent years pursued a high-profile foreign policy in the areas of dispute mediations, maintaining balanced relations with allies and adversaries alike, adept use of soft power tools, and even military interventions in fellow Arab states, Libya in particular, to aid the Arab pro-democracy forces. This high-profile foreign policy has aimed at strengthening Qatar’s n…
Partial integration of Syrian ‘escapees’ under the rule of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (JDP)
This article deals with the policy of the Justice and Development Party (JDP) in Turkey with regard to Syrian ‘refugees’. Initially referred to as ‘guests’, they were subsequently granted the official status of ‘temporary protection’. The article also covers efforts to incorporate the Syrians into some areas of Turkish society (the job market, healthcare, citizenship, the housing market, social prominence and marriage relationships). It is argued…
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and the January 25 Revolution: New political party, new circumstances
This paper highlights the Muslim Brotherhood’s experience in Egyptian elections since the 1980s with an emphasis on their last attempts during the Hosni Mubarak era in 2010 and in light of their most recent showing in the 2011 elections. This summary reveals how past electoral activities and failures have positioned this organization the better to capitalize on the newfound democratic climate in a post-revolution Egypt and perform well during the…
The visions and strategies of the GCC countries from the perspective of reforms: The case of Qatar
The countries of the Arab Gulf have witnessed a wave of production of ‘national’ strategies and ‘vision’ initiatives, most of which have been developed by foreign firms and consultants, and many of which were drafted in English. Two examples of these that form the basis of analysis of this article are the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV) issued in 2008 and followed up by the Qatar National Developmental Strategy 2011–2016 (QNDS) in 2011. Neither …
Revolutionary anatomy: The lessons of the Sudanese revolutions of October 1964 and April 1985
In spite of the numerous challenges it faces (including a traumatic split), Sudan has not yet fallen to the domino effect of Arab revolutions. However, Sudan has not just one but two experiences from which to draw lessons about the conduct of successful peaceful popular revolutions against entrenched despots. In both instances the revolutions (in 1964 and 1985) came well ahead of similar waves of revolutionary fervour elsewhere, and they were ext…
The Druze in Israel: A less persecuted minority
Since 1948, Israel has adopted a policy of co-option of the Druze minority among its population. However, despite their partial co-option, the Druze are subjected to the same political, social, and economic discrimination as the rest of the Palestinians. While some Druze elements have sought to resist the policies of the Jewish state, these attempts have so far been marginal. Whether future generations, in light of their growing awareness of disc…
Qatar’s Efforts to Change the Image of Muslims after 9/11: A Political and Social Research into the Perspective of Fifa World Cup 2022
Islam was branded as a religion of terror and bloodshed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Nonetheless, there have been counter-movements to challenge this stereotyping from many Muslim nations within the past ten years. The Arab-Muslim nation of Qatar, which organized and hosted the 2022 World Cup, is one of them. The present study examines Qatar’s progress in organizing and hosting the 2022 World Cup. The study also looks into Qatar’s approach i…
The Fragmentation of the Palestinian Political Field: Sources and Ramifications
The mid-1960s saw the beginnings of the construction of a Palestinian political field after it collapsed in 1948, when, with the British government’s support of the Zionist movement, which succeeded in establishing the state of Israel, the Palestinian national movement was crushed. This article focuses mainly on the Palestinian political field as it developed in the 1960s and 1970s, the beginnings of its fragmentation in the 1990s, and its almost…
Relationship between state and religion in Saudi Arabia: The role of Wahabism in governance
This paper tracks the relationship between religion and the state in Saudi Arabia during the past 50 years. This relationship is unique in the sense that the religious power (Wahabi) together with the ruling family (Al Sa’ud) were partners in founding the Kingdom. This cooperative relationship has been degenerating into mutual suspicion. Right now there are three main variants of religious stratification in Saudi Arabia vis-à-vis the state: the t…
Déjà vu diplomacy: South Korea’s Middle East policy under Lee Myung-bak
This paper probes major directions in South Korea’s Middle East foreign policy under the presidency of Lee Myung-bak, during a turbulent transitional period in the region. These include serious attempts to forge multifaceted and long-lasting connections with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), efforts to penetrate Kurdistan’s energy and construction industries, and strategies to overcome the quandary of sanctions against Iran. Epitomiz…
The Kurdish question in Iraq: Historical background and future settlement
This article explores the political history of the Kurdish question in Iraq. It starts by giving a short historical background to the issue, and moves on to explain Kurdish demands and past attempts to resolve the problem, both militarily and peacefully. It then gives an account of the idea of autonomy as understood by various Iraqi governments and Kurdish leaderships. The article also concentrates on the obstacles hindering and obstructing a las…
A bridge to the international community
Editorial| January 01 2008 A bridge to the international community Khair El-Din Haseeb Khair El-Din Haseeb Centre for Arab Unity Studies, Beirut, Lebanon Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar *Corresponding Address: Khair El-Din Haseeb, Centre for Arab Unity Studies, Beit Al Nahda Bldg, Basra Street, P.O. Box 113–6001, Hamra-Beirut 2034 2407, Lebanon; Email: [email protected] Contemporary Arab Affairs (2008) …
Basic economic and social indicators of Arab countries
Other| January 01 2008 Basic economic and social indicators of Arab countries Rabih Kisserwan Rabih Kisserwan Arab Network for Research and Publishing, Beirut, Lebanon Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar *Corresponding Address: Rabih Kisserwan, Sadat Tower Bldg., 8th floor, Lyon Street, Hamra 2037-4001, PO Box 113-5485, Lebanon; Email: [email protected] Contemporary Arab Affairs (2008) 1 (1): 137–147. …
Sudanese futures: One country or many
Conflict-prone Sudan is at a decisive cross-roads in its history as the multiple crises gripping the country force on the actors some stark choices. As the world focuses on the spiralling Darfur crisis and offers the wrong prescriptions for its resolution, the optimistically named Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended the war in the south threatens to unravel under the weight of the diverging agendas of the main peace partners. Unless s…
News in brief, July–October 2007
Other| January 01 2008 News in brief, July–October 2007 Contemporary Arab Affairs (2008) 1 (1): 111–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550910701812305 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation News in brief, July–October 2007. Contemporary Arab Affairs 1 January 2008; 1 (1): 111–135. doi: https://d…
Peace in Lebanon and the Middle East
Lebanon has never experienced an extended interval of sustainable peace since its independence. In 1975, Lebanon was the scene of a civil war. In 1982, a full-scale war was mounted by Israel. In the process massacres were perpetrated by the Israelis. The current crisis has been punctuated by momentous tragic events which brought salient changes in the sordid course of life in the country, unleashing a prolonged cabinet crisis, and finally an intr…
The Israeli war on Lebanon: The Arab dimension
The article offers a comprehensive review of Arab attitudes toward the war, distinguishing between official Arab positions, initially hostile towards and critical of Hezbollah, and Arab public opinion. The latter endorsed the resistance enthusiastically and was vindicated by Hezbollah’s strong performance on the battlefield, to the embarrassment of Arab governments. The article also addresses the various repercussions on official Arab positions, …
News in brief, November 2007– January 2008
Other| April 01 2008 News in brief, November 2007– January 2008 Contemporary Arab Affairs (2008) 1 (2): 321–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550910801953504 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation News in brief, November 2007– January 2008. Contemporary Arab Affairs 1 April 2008; 1 (2): 321–337…
Talking with Islamists: An overdue task or an exercise in appeasement
The article exposes the stereotypes most prevalent in the West about Islamists. The gist of its argument is that the West must talk to Islamists if some form of mutual understanding is to take place. Refusing dialogue under the pretext of stereotypes will not contribute to a resolution of conflicts in the Middle East. The author stresses the need to look into other people’s languages, especially those of the Middle East, in order to understand wh…
The Israeli-Lebanese war of 2006: The international repercussions
This article deals with the international repercussions of the recent Israeli attack on Lebanon, and the way in which it differs from previous Arab-Israeli wars. The first part addresses the root causes of the conflict and considers the reasons that made the war on Lebanon a joint American–Israeli–European–United Nations war. The second part looks at the political management of the war and the steps that led to the adoption of UN Security Council…
The Israeli-Lebanese war of 2006 and its repercussions: An overview
This opening article is an overview of the various issues addressed in a symposium held in early September 2006 in the aftermath of the war that took place between Israel and Lebanon in the summer of that year. It analyses the reasons behind the war and its repercussions for both Hezbollah and Israel, probes the reasons advanced by Israel and the real intentions behind the war, and reviews the prosecution of the war by both parties and the reason…
The Arab Anti-corruption Organization
The global fight against corruption has gained momentum in the last two decades when its adverse effects on national economies, professional practice and the promotion of democracy and governance, have become clear. Yet the Arab region remained resistant towards these efforts. This paper traces the steps that have been taken to introduce an indigenous initiative in this regard and reports on developments which have been put in place in Arab count…
Democracy and the re-consolidation of authoritarian rule in Egypt
Despite the introduction of important liberalization measures, Egypt still suffers from serious democratic deficits. Mubarak’s inconsistent political reforms, especially since the 2005 legislative elections, have raised many questions and revived the discussion on whether Egypt is heading in a democratic direction. This article contributes to this discussion by investigating the political process under Mubarak’s regime and critically analysing th…
Egyptian reforms post-2005 and the politics of succession: Implications and consequences for the future Egyptian reform process
Egyptian economic reforms have been an on-going process since the Egyptian government adopted liberal market reforms in 1991 (Kienle 2001, 2004), influenced by a number of internal socio-economic factors, including growing levels of poverty, heightened inflation, high levels of corruption and rising levels of unemployment, in particular among new university graduates. These factors were exerting heavy pressure on a highly bureaucratic and ineffic…
Challenges facing the Arab world in the twenty-first century: An overview
This article is a broad and sober assessment of the state of the Arab world. The writer draws a grim picture about prospects for improvements. The Arabs have not benefited from the changes that have swept the world because of the high cost attached to them. Current conditions in the Arab world are the main obstacle facing Arab reformers. In grappling with a civilizational challenge in which Arabs apparently have no choice or role, they suffer fro…
News in brief, February–April 2008: Documentation and Information Department, Centre for Arab Unity Studies
Other| July 01 2008 News in brief, February–April 2008 Contemporary Arab Affairs (2008) 1 (3): 499–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550910802214724 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation News in brief, February–April 2008. Contemporary Arab Affairs 1 July 2008; 1 (3): 499–510. doi: https://doi…
Arab unity: Is it possible
Turkey’s internal and external challenges: Course and limitations
This article analyses recent developments in the Middle East and reviews the role assumed by Turkey and its policies in the area. With regard to the region's future, Turkey has ambitions to be a major power in the decision-making process. The recent crisis in Lebanon sheds new light on Turkey's current relations with Arab countries and the role it wants to play in the future
The recurrent Islamic crisis: Cultural heritage and social progress
This article posits Arab and Muslim disunity as a function or corollary of a breakdown of imaginative creativity in the Muslim world, precipitated by a series of reactions to external factors which have derailed Islam from its natural role and proactive function as a process of perpetual reformation. The inherent pathology is that the terms of the debates have always been determined by exogenous factors. The potential, authentic avenues for socia…
The Arabian Gulf: Political pluralism and the dilemma of totalitarian bureaucracies – a study in the liberalization of monopolistic policies
The article tackles a lesser-known aspect of political bureaucracy in the Arabian Gulf and establishes the link between forced tribal loyalties and hegemonic bureaucracies. The system in place is inherently anti-democratic and fosters a distribution of favours and benefits to groups who have pledged allegiance to ruling families. This has come at the expense of political freedoms for local nationals. The irony is that Gulf countries have granted …
The Arab nation and indigenous acquisition of scientific knowledge (tawṭīn al-ilm)
In this article, the author deals with the factors he considers to be essential for the genuine acquisition of knowledge and, specifically, scientific knowledge – the Arabic term al- ilm being a referent to either or both. The phrase tawṭīn al- ilm used in the title and throughout could be translated literally as the ‘nationalization of science/knowledge’, however, the import is wider in scope and is intended to connote the process of making know…
When rulership becomes privileged booty (ghanīmah): The condition of the Gulf Cooperation Council
Research Article| October 01 2008 When rulership becomes privileged booty (ghanīmah): the condition of the Gulf Cooperation Council* Yousef Khalifah al-Yousef Yousef Khalifah al-Yousef Abu Dhabi, UAE Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Corresponding Address: Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] *This article was first published in Arabic in Al-Mustaqbal Al'Arabī Contemporary Arab Aff…
The Arab Organization for Human Rights
The Arab Organization for Human Rights was founded in 1983, at a time when the legal, political and cultural environment in the Arab world was not at all amenable to human rights. On the legal level and when present, societies’ laws ranged between banning outright and imposing restrictions, and the very concept of human rights was deeply misunderstood. This was due to the many relevant interpretations and reference points and to its use by the We…
News in brief, May–July 2008
Other| October 01 2008 News in brief, May–July 2008 Contemporary Arab Affairs (2008) 1 (4): 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550910802390706 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation News in brief, May–July 2008. Contemporary Arab Affairs 1 October 2008; 1 (4): 667–679. doi: https://doi.org/1…
The Palestinian cause: The road to peace not travelled and the imperative of return to the basics
With the end of 60 years since the termination of the British Mandate on Palestine and the first round of failure to effect a two-state solution of the conflict over Palestine, both sides to the conflict are no closer to a just, durable and peaceful solution. The peace process proved to be an end in itself, to be a fetish which commands elaborate rituals but one which tenders no genuine faith. There is a simple reason for this, namely, that the m…